A Ranger's Sorrows
by William War
Summary: The courier has been through alot, from fighting Legion, to having to leave the only woman he ever really loved, and it's taken it's toll. Will anyone be able to save him from himself? thanks to all of my readers. you guys are awesome.
1. Mojave Outpost

Nicholas Kane entered the Mojave outpost, battle scared ranger veteran armor covered him from head to toe. For the past two years, he was an official NCR Ranger Veteran, hunting down and systematically killing Caesars' remaining military leaders.

Along the way his hard set face had gotten harder, he picked up more than a few scars, and became an alcoholic, and a smoker. Kane had grown a rough beard, but still kept his hair in a sarge haircut.

Nicholas looked around the outpost's bar, it still looked like shit. He hadn't seen it in years, and now welcomed the rundown, moldy room with a smile, concealed by his helmet. He could almost taste the fear in the room as he walked in.

Even though he was a decorated NCR war hero, the normal grunts still nearly shit themselves when he looked at them. Kane made his way to the bar, took a seat on a stool, and removed his helmet. The air filters had cleaned the air he breathed, without it he found that the air reeked of stale beer, stale piss, and stale vomit.

Just the way I remember it, he thought contently, producing some caps to buy some whiskey, his drink of choice, he hailed the bartender over to him.

After a brief exchange, the bartender left to take care of her other customers leaving Nicholas Kane to drown in his sorrows. After he set his helmet on the bar he looked off to his left, at an empty seat.

The very seat where he met the woman of his dreams… her name, was Rose of Sharon Cassidy.

He had traveled with her, fought beside her, killed for her, saved her life more than once, and against his better judgment, had fallen for her.

She was a drinker, a fighter, a killer, a caravan runner, a woman with a foul mouth, but still had a heart of gold….even if it was swimming in whiskey and shotgun shells.

He reminisced of the night he had to leave her… she was shot several times in the battle for Hoover Dam, and the following battles, she almost died, until Nick dragged over a medic at camp forlorn hope's infirmary and literally put a gun to his head until the medic agreed to save her life.

He told her when she awoke he was being pick for the ranger veterans, and was going to be going on extremely dangerous missions, and he wouldn't be able to live with himself if she was hurt… or worse.

Nick winced as he remembered how she had cried, how she pleaded with him not to go; he just turned and left her in the field hospital… alone. She never cried, she just bottled everything in, but she was heavily drugged from the painkillers, thus she had no social filter when she cried and most likely didn't remember anything of that night.

Kane had never forgiven himself for leaving her. Since then he had grown bitter and angry. Anything that moved was just another thing looking for an excuse to get shot, and anything that didn't move was a potential ambush. He had joined the Veteran Rangers alongside his old friend, Boone, whom died covering a retreat from a Legion camp. He died a hero, and Kane couldn't even recover his body to return to Novac. It was yet another reason he drank. Kane had killed too many people, seen too many friends die, had fought too many battles, and now was being sent back to the Mojave for some rest and relaxation, and see a mental health specialist. His mental health was in question, and his superiors were afraid he was just one or two more fights away from going insane. They weren't far off.

Nick tipped back the bottle of whiskey, and chugged it until the bottle was dry.

He took the time to take out his old cigarette lighter, and lit one up. He took a long drag from the cigarette, and exhaled slowly, watching the smokes every curl through the bar's sour air.

He never smoked when he was with Cass… the thought made him long for another drag from the cancer stick, and another bottle of whiskey.

He decided that the whiskey could wait for one cigarette longer. As he took a third drag from his cigarette, the doors behind him opened and closed, letting in some fresh desert air. He didn't look, he didn't care, he just wanted to be left alone… he also prayed some drunk merchant would try to start something, so he could knock some heads in.

He hadn't always been so… for lack of a better word, sociopathic, but hunting down Legion scum had changed him, or so he thought. Nicholas Kane thought there was nothing that could save him, he was doomed to be lonely and bitter, and would most likely die in the middle of nowhere and no one would miss him.

He could not have been any more wrong.

"Kane?"

There it was that voice.

That beloved voice that made Kane sweat.

The voice of an angel as far as he was concerned.

He turned his head slowly, cigarette in hand and when he saw her, he was at a complete loss. Standing before this half-drunk veteran was the woman he left years ago… Rose of Sharon Cassidy.

AUTHORS NOTES: well hoped you guys liked it, please review, and if you like it, tell me, and I will make this a regular thing, until next time this is William War, signing off!


	2. Lost and Found

Kane was visibly shaking, he didn't know what to think, and standing before him was the young woman he left in a field hospital over two years ago. He was genuinely afraid; he didn't know what she'd do. Would she shoot him on the spot out of anger? Would she slap him and walk out? Would she just ignore him and start drinking? Would she be able to forgive him? He put out the cigarette quickly, and longed for…. Something, something to break that dreaded awkward moment.

Cassidy was heading back to the Mojave outpost, alone. Alone in the physical realm, and alone in her heart and soul.

After Kane left her over two years ago, after she blacked out from the pain of getting shot by a legion soldier, after some vague memories of him leaving in black ranger armor, Boone in tow. She remembered that she was crying for him. She didn't want him to leave.

She had started Cassidy Caravans up once again, in the hopes of moving on, in the hopes of leaving her past behind. But that dream went up in smoke after her caravan was hit by some of the few remaining powder gangers along the long I-15 going from Vegas.

She was the only survivor. Her trusty caravan shotgun saved her life once again. Now she found herself walking down the long, lonely stretch of road to the NCR's Mojave Outpost, her favorite spot to drown her memories in a flood of whiskey.

As she approached the turn in the road going uphill to the outpost, her thoughts wandered to the man she had met in that dank, foul smelling, dive bar more than two and a half years ago.

She was through her fourth glass of her favorite drink, when a broad shouldered, muscular, tall, blonde man wearing a merc grunt outfit, M16 slung across his back, walked in.

He looked like a man with a purpose in life, like he was looking for someone. He leaned against the bar and hailed the bartender over, all the while scanning the room, taking note of everything. He ordered a glass of whiskey, and told the bartender to leave the bottle.

'My kind of man' she thought as she checked him out, taking in the sight of this drifter. When she reached his eyes she found he had been watching her.

His cold blue eyes, peering into her own chocolate brown eyes…peering into her soul.

She watched as he knocked back the glass, and made his way over to her. She tensed, reading herself for anything.

"Are you Rose of Sharon Cassidy?"

After that, she talked with him, and told him how she was stuck until the roads cleared. He looked her straight in the face and said, "I'll be back when they are cleared."

Sure enough, he was back in a week, same grunt get up, same service rifle, same drink order, except now he had an offer from Crimson Caravans to but out her caravan company.

He then talked her into selling, 'Damn he's got a silver tongue' she thought as she signed the papers.

Now she was free to leave the outpost, but where would she go?

The man then introduced himself as Kane, he answered most of her questions, like "What did he do for a living" he was a courier or "What's your favorite gun" the marksman carbine, but steered clear of questions about his past, saying he didn't really want to talk about it. But his least favorite question was about the rounded scar above his left eye.

He became irritated at the question and said, "Some Brahmin fucking asshole named Benny decided to shoot me in my fucking head, luckily the bastard can't shoot worth shit."

She had a newfound respect for Kane, as he liked to be called; he had fought death and won. He had been shot in the head and it only pissed him off.

She soon found the chance to see him and action, and was a little bit frightened by what she saw, and was determined not to piss him off anytime soon.

He was extremely accurate and killed with an unrivaled efficiency, but when someone pissed him off, he made sure they bled out slowly. He was not easily angered, but when he was, no one was safe.

She saw how good hearted he was to anyone who deserved it, which consisted of anyone not pointing a gun on either his or her general direction.

She saw how loyal he was, and how when she was in trouble he immediately dropped what he was doing to help her.

Cass soon grew to like and appreciate him. After two months of traveling together, she actually fell for Kane. She couldn't see herself without him. She would fight by his side, and more.

Her heart was not easily won, but once she opened up his cold exterior, she found a great man. He was a little shy, afraid of getting hurt spiritually, always thinking of others first. He was nice, and after a few bottles, quite fun.

But she had never so much as held his hand, and she acted like a cold hearted bitch towards him, but he still put up with, and even accepted her.

She helped him take his revenge on Benny, and then she aided him in his fight for the NCR. During the final phases of the fighting, she was injured badly, and he nearly killed an NCR medic who refused to operate on her. He had saved her life yet again, and then vanished, to go off fighting with the Veteran Rangers.

She had tried to find out where he was numerous times, but always got the same answer, "Sorry, NCR troop movements and activities are classified."

Cass had to be "escorted" out by NCR military police more than once, to the point where she was banned from the NCR embassy. She eventually gave up on any hope of seeing him again and went on the biggest drinking binge of her life.

Cass was just walking past the barbed wire fence surrounding the outpost when she overheard two soldiers talking about some Ranger Vet in the bar. She thought nothing of it and continued to the double doors leading to the alcoholic pit that was the barracks.

She pushed through the doors and noticed immediately the silence of the place. Usually, troops and traveling merchants were laughing and conversing loudly, instead, they were dead silent. She could almost smell the fear in the room, when she noticed why.

Sitting not ten feet in front of her was a Ranger Vet. His helmet was off revealing short corn silk colored hair. Staring back at her, from the bar counter was a terrifying black helmet with blood red eyes.

She felt as if she knew this ranger but could not see his face as his back was turned. She felt as if she had sensed his presence before.

She walked up next to him, but staying out of arm's length just in case she was wrong and accidentally angered him.

Her eyes widened as her distant hope might have been assured, he looked like Kane, but he was looked older, scars occupied his face, but not in a hideous way, more of a rugged survivor way.

She searched the face for the one conclusive piece of evidence she needed. Then she found it.

A faded, rounded scar just above his left eye.

She decided to speak up, "Kane?"

She saw his eyes widen, as he slowly turned his head to face her, a half burned down cigarette in his right hand. He looked at her in the eyes, as she did the same to him. He started to visibly shake. He crushed the cigarette in an armored hand.

Cass could not believe her eyes, sitting in front of her was the man she had given up for dead a long time ago.

Her eyes fogged up, and she tried in vain to hold back tears of joy. She bit her lower lip, and closed her eyes, unsure of what to do next.

Before she knew what to do or say, he was standing and she was in his metallic embrace. He did not squeeze her as much as he merely rested her arms around her. His chapped lips brushed softly against her ear.

"I missed you Cass." His voice was the same, rough and deep, as was his supposed love for her, which she still wasn't sure of, but everything else was different about him.

She brushed her thoughts aside and embraced him, she could no longer hold back her tears as she silently wept, and thanked god, or whoever was up there for giving him back to her.

Cass had placed her head on his shoulder and cried. To Kane life, for the first time in years, was good.


	3. Whiskey, love, and a 44

Cass was the same as Kane had left her more than two years ago, all except for her hair. It was no longer fire red and short; it was now dyed brunette and grown out to her shoulders.

He couldn't say he didn't like the change, but it would take some getting used to, but for right now all he could think of was Cassidy, she was in his embrace. Not only that, she returned it, and wept on his shoulder.

Kane was, in his mind, the happiest man in the Mojave, no the NCR, no he was the happiest man in existence. It was a much needed break from the constant flow of depression, hate, rage, and fear that had taken over his life for the past two years.

Kane was unaware of the tears rolling down his face, and he was unaware of the entire populace staring at them mouths agape.

The various assortments of merchants, travelers, and soldiers had never even heard of Ranger Veterans showing any form of human emotion, yet here was the most feared Ranger Vet in the NCR embracing a woman and crying.

One NCR trooper dared to take a picture. Some cried too, mostly out of fear that if they didn't they'd get the shit kicked out of them. The bartender audibly wept.

"That is so beautiful…" she was able to get out before succumbing once again to tears.

Cass smelt of a Mojave Desert flower…'Ironic' he thought, considering her real first name was Rose.

He could not believe his luck, he had come in to get shit faced wasted, and now he had in his arms, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He silently uttered his thanks.

"Thank you god, for giving this sinner a chance to repent, a chance to prove his worth...amen"

* * *

><p>Cass could not believe it; Kane sacrificed his pride as an NCR Veteran Ranger to show his love for her. While he was most likely not ready to go any farther just yet….damn it.<p>

She especially could not believe that he was silently crying as well. She could not look tough any longer; she gave in to her urges, and sobbed loudly for all to hear.

The couple broke from the long embrace, as no one could call it a hug it was too emotional.

She looked up at him just in time to see him smile lightly, as he wiped the tears from her eyes with his armored hand. She smiled back, holding back the urge to take him right there on the spot.

The silence was wonderful for the pair, but for everyone else, it was nerve wracking, no one dared to make a sound.

He was the first to break the silence.

"You look good Cass." He said as he brushed her hair behind her ear.

She scoffed and jokingly said, "I wish I could say the same for you!" she grinned widely.

The troopers were close to shitting themselves, this woman had made this killing machine of a man look weak, and then proceeded to insult him? They couldn't even talk to him without fearing for their lives!

Kane chuckled, his hoarse voice all the more evident.

"Perhaps we should take this conversation elsewhere?" he suggested, motioning towards the crowd around them.

"You may be right. But you have to buy me a drink first!" She poked him in the chest plate, causing him to laugh more.

"All right Cass, all right. Bartender! Your finest whiskey, for the finest woman in the wastes!"

* * *

><p>The couple was walking outside, towards the statues of the rangers. Cass had a half empty whiskey bottle in her left hand, Kane had his helmet in his right hand, with their free hands interlocked.<p>

Cass told him how she had just survived another attack on her caravan, and how she tried time and time again to find him, and how it tore her up to finally have to presume him as dead.

He apologized and spoke up when she was finished.

"I'm sorry Cass, I just couldn't take you with me, and I couldn't let you get hurt again. If you were killed I… I would have had no more reason to live. You were the only thing that kept me going, that kept me sane, that kept me fighting. Your safety was my priority, the more legion bastards I killed, the less likely that you would die at their hands."

She scoffed, "I almost died today!"

"You would have died fighting against those legion savages! I know you can hold your own against Mojave scum, but legion is a different story entirely!"

She stopped, turned and looked him straight in his scared face,

"You couldn't take me, but you could take Boone? What were you guys FUCKING or something?"

His eye twitched, he stopped and gave her an angry look,

"Boone's dead Cass!"

She gasped, Boone was one of the toughest men she knew, and he was dead?

"He died trying to save the rest of the squad during a retreat just outside of Phoenix. He was critically wounded, and swarmed by legion soldiers… he pulled the pin on one of his grenades, taking twelve of those bastards with him. He died a hero, and it was entirely my fault. I was in command, I made some bad calls and Boone paid for it with his life."

He looked away from her.

"It made me realize that I made the right decision in leaving you here, you can fight and kill damn near anything, but I couldn't let you fall to the legion again… because I wouldn't have been able to save you."

Cass was shocked. She had struck a nerve, and she now was starting to see the logic in his decision. It was even more proof of his love for her.

She looked at the ground, sorrow and regret filled her mind, she wouldn't have been surprised if he left her right then and there.

But he didn't. He put his arm around her shoulder, and kissed her cheek. His lips felt like sandpaper.

"I'm sorry I left you Cass, but it was the only choice… I won't blame you if you hate me."

She dropped her whiskey bottle and looked up at him.

"I could never hate you…"

Before she could finish her sentence, her head was in his hands, and his tongue was in her mouth, playing, toying, and exploring every millimeter in her mouth. After a long moment, she embraced him and returned the sudden act of affection.

Kane had never tasted anything as sweet as the woman he loved. Her lips were as soft as rose petals, and tasted of whiskey. He was not surprised when she returned the act of affection. Her tongue played with his as they shared a sacred moment of pure love.

* * *

><p>Cass was in heaven, her mind was empty, and she floated on a cloud of bliss. When she came to, she realized she was not returning the kiss, and she quickly corrected this.<p>

His lips were rough as his persona, and he smelt of booze, tobacco and gunpowder, but he tasted of… love, she could _taste _his love.

* * *

><p>They shared a long loving kiss, on the horizon; the sun was setting, casting shadows of the two that were more lifelike and larger than the statues the outpost was famous for.<p>

In the background, a radio was playing, _blue moon, now I am no longer alone…_

There wasn't a song more fitting in the entirety of the Mojave, in the entirety of the wasteland, in all of Vegas, in the entire known world, for that moment, everything was perfect. It was as if life for once in the Mojave was just, and fair, if even for only a moment.

When the kiss was over the couple picked up their things, and headed for the only safe haven they knew of in all of Vegas, the Lucky 38 casino.

Before they left, Kane walked up to a man tuning a guitar, and bought it from him. He slung it across his back, and opened up his duster.

Cass could see the arsenal that was holstered in his duster.

There was a machete gladius on each side of the duster, two .44 magnums holstered, on each hip and plenty of ammunition for them. He had several fragmentation grenades on his belt. And to top it all off, a marksman carbine was taken apart into several pieces and held up by some straps on either side of his duster.

Kane was well known for his abilities with duel wielding blades and pistols, but Cass still wondered how he was going to be able to piece the carbine together in a combat situation.

* * *

><p>Kane still had his helmet in his hand, his cold blue eyes darting all around, memorizing the layout of everything. He had become a little paranoid over the past two years and with good reason.<p>

Too many times had a routine patrol gone wrong because of troops being careless about their surroundings. Too many times Kane had seen men blown to pieces by a landmine because they didn't look around them thoroughly.

Before long, the pair of travelers was nearing Goodsprings. It was night, and they needed to find a place to stay until morning, preferably a place with a bar. Kane knew to head straight to the saloon.

Cass was a little impressed by the small town, they had electricity, clean water, a saloon and according to Kane, a small militia.

When they entered through the door to the saloon, they were greeted by a dog barking, and a woman with a varmint rifle and leather armor, sipping a sunset sarsaparilla.

"Cheyenne stay! Don't worry she won't bite unless –"

"Unless you tell her to, I know, how are you Sunny?" Kane responded with a grin.

Sunny squinted as if she were looking directly into the sun. When she let her eyes widen, she dropped her jaw, and extended her free hand towards Kane.

"Jesus H. gecko killing Christ! Kane, how are you?"

Kane shook her hand and said.

"Well, I've been better, and I've been worse. I've certianly looked better. You look good. How's the town holding up?"

"Well, we now have electricity, thanks to you. We are a free town, thanks to you. Trade with the NCR has brought us a lot of income, thanks to you. Drugs aren't a problem since you and the NCR screwed over the Khans. In short, we've never been better!"

Kane smiled widely at the string of compliments, and remembered how much people loved him there.

Cass was shocked, she knew that Kane did a lot of good, but was astonished at the sheer amount of help he gave to this small town.

Kane put his arm around Cass's shoulder and stated proudly,

"Sunny, I'd like you to meet Ms. Rose of Sharon Cassidy. Cass, this is Sunny Smiles, she was the one who got me re-acquainted with a gun after I 'woke up'. Without her, I probably would have never lived to meet you."

Cass liked this woman now; she had helped Kane in his time of need. She shook Sunny's hand and told her just to call her Cass.

"If you're a friend of Kane's, then you're a friend of mine! Come on let me buy you two a drink" Sunny grinned.

Cass really liked this woman now; she was offering her a drink. She needed one after a long day of traveling.

"Hey Doc, Trudy, Pete! Look who's here!"

* * *

><p>The night was full of introductions, drinking, laughing, and pure black out drunken fun.<p>

When Cass woke up the next morning, she was lying on a mattress, fully clothed, and was clutching an empty whiskey bottle in each hand. To her left, was Kane, no armor, no duster, just his old Merc grunt outfit, he was sleeping soundly a smile on his face.

Cass was in his arms.

She felt safe, secure, and… an emotion that she could only describe as pure contentment.

She moved closer to his chest and slipped blissfully back to sleep.

AUTHORS NOTES: Well, it's longer than the others, because, well I got on a roll and couldn't stop, but this is a fluke, the others might not be as long in the future. I know, I know, you wanted a lemon, but too bad! I don't do smut this early in a story, so just wait a few more chapters. P.S. I will start the violence in the next chapter, and it will be marvelously detailed.

Also you guys should review this and tell me what you think, other wise, I'll kill this dog... I mean fic...ok I'll kill the dog too! Also if anyone has any bright ideas not containing sex wwith ghouls or *shudders* supermutants...THEN YOU SHOULD FUCKING TELL ME THEM IN A REVIEW!

Seriously though please review, because i love you guys, and I want to know what you think.


	4. Duel for love

Kane awoke from his slumber, head banging like a fucking drum, to the sound of someone playing his new guitar…horribly.

He propped himself up and looked around, he was in the robot Victor's shack. However Victor had long been erased from the securitrons hardware, so the shack was up for grabs.

He rubbed his eyes with his hands and yawned.

The playing stopped.

Cass walked from the chair she was sitting in towards Kane. He looked hung over, tired, in a little pain, and a hint of annoyance could be seen on his face. She smiled, she remembered he drank more than her the night before and no doubt would be feeling the effects for the rest of the day.

"Well good morning!" She said happily, knowing loud noises caused him pain.

Kane winced; his head felt like it was ready to pop like an over ripe melon.

"Cass" he managed to groan, "You cannot play the guitar!" he smirked playfully at the end.

Cass took this as a challenge, "So you think you are any better than me? Well I got news for you, I can sing better than you, I can run faster than you, and I sure as hell look better than you!" She was playfully smiling now.

Kane managed to get to his feet, snatch the guitar from Cass's hands, tune it and begin to play.

_**I hear the train a comin'**_

_**It's rollin' 'round the bend,**_

_**And I ain't seen the sunshine,**_

_**Since, I don't know when,**_

_**I'm stuck in Folsom Prison,**_

_**And time keeps draggin' on,**_

_**But that train keeps a-rollin',**_

_**On down to San Antone.**_

Cass had never heard Kane sing before, he had a rich bass voice that was far smoother than his speaking voice, but still a little hoarse. He had a ham radio turned on, and tuned so that anyone within thirty miles could hear him… it was a little side project of his, to help NCR patrols communicate better.

_**When I was just a baby,**_

_**My Mama told me, "Son,**_

_**Always be a good boy,**_

_**Don't ever play with guns,"**_

_**But I shot a man in Reno,**_

_**Just to watch him die,**_

_**When I hear that whistle blowin',**_

_**I hang my head and cry.**_

Cass was amazed, he looked sleepy eyed and damn near comatose but still stood tall, his cold blue eyes pierced her soul.

_**I bet there's rich folks eatin',**_

_**In a fancy dining car,**_

_**They're probably drinkin' coffee,**_

_**And smokin' big cigars,**_

_**But I know I had it comin',**_

_**I know I can't be free,**_

_**But those people keep a-movin',**_

_**And that's what tortures me.**_

She could almost see him in a Black suit, playing on a well-lit stage, his beard shaved, his hair longer and gelled back.

_**Well, if they freed me from this prison,**_

_**If that railroad train was mine,**_

_**I bet I'd move out over a little,**_

_**Farther down the line,**_

_**Far from Folsom Prison,**_

_**That's where I want to stay,**_

_**And I'd let that lonesome whistle,**_

_**Blow my Blues away. **_

When he finished he placed the guitar down and walked up to her no emotion in his eyes or posture whatsoever and took her in his arms and planted a deep kiss on her lips.

His Lips felt so warm to hers… she opened her lips to invite his tongue in. No sooner had she done so, they were locked in a passionate, loving kiss.

She ached for him while his tongue played, teased and twisted with hers. Cass moaned at the sudden surge of emotions.

She had ached for him many times before, usually when waking up from a more than pleasant dream while she searched for him. She knew the feelings well, and had beforehand substituted her fingers for his touch.

Cass was getting wet at the thoughts, and yearned for his touch, for his lust to wash over her, for the feeling of him inside of her… only to produce an end to the kiss.

Cass opened her eyes and found him throwing on his duster, armor still in the corner he had left them the night before.

She groaned in disappointment, to see him brush her off like that made her deflate.

Kane turned around and smiled playfully,

"Never before breakfast Ms. Cassidy."

She wanted to say something in response, but had nothing to say, her mind was blank, and still trying to recover from the moment they had just shared.

She watched as he walked out the door, not even motioning for her to follow him, but she did.

In Goodsprings, there was only one place to get any food, the saloon.

This little bit of information dawned upon Cass as she and Kane walked in. She spotted several people sitting around at the bar, eating some of the typical wasteland food, dog meat, nuts, various assortments of fruit and pre-war packaged food.

Kane was already sitting, keeping a seat to his left open for her.

Before she could sit down she felt an unfamiliar and unwelcome hand on her rear.

"Hey babe, you got a nice couple a curves, why don't you show me more!" The voice was Shrill and annoying.

Cass turned around, smiled seductively, and punched the man as hard as she could in the jaw.

She looked him over as he stumbled backwards, he was…average. Nothing special about him, he was, in all ways, forgettable.

Before she could do anything more, Kane was in front of her.

"Are we gonna have a problem here son?" Kane asked in a threatening tone.

The stranger turned his head around and spat out a tooth.

"You with her?"

"You could say that" Kane's hand was instinctively going towards his pistol.

"Well, she just ruined my smile, and I ain't bout to hit a purty lilt hang like that! So to answer your question…hell yeah we gots a problem!"

The hick stranger placed his hand on a holstered pistol, a flimsy fucking 9mm.

Kane looked at the small caliber pistol almost as if it in its self was an insult.

"You wanna take this outside son?" Kane was calm as a man could be at this moment

The stranger grinned. He was missing a tooth, but the remainder of his teeth were sand yellow and rotting.

The men headed outside, and a crowd gathered on either side of them. They stood in the middle of the road around forty feet apart, they had their hands near their holsters.

Cass had wanted to stop it, but a part of her wanted to see just how dedicated Kane was to her, would he really kill a semi-innocent man for her?

The two men stared each other down, when finally the stranger made his move.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Well this chapter probably sucks, because I was dog shit tired when I wrote it, by the way, the song is "Folsom Prison Blues" By Johnny Cash. Please review and tell me what you think, oh and-

(nurse enters room)

"Time for your sedative Mr. War!"

IT MAY TAKE A WHILE FOR MY NEXT UPDATE AS I WILL BE WORKING ON TWO OTHER FALLOUT FICS UNTIL NEXT TIME THIS IS-

*Injection*


	5. Kill for Her

Cass watched in slight amusement as the man who had just groped her, faced down a pissed off (and possibly insane) Ranger Veteran.

Kane looked in his element; he was no more than a second away from death at any time…just the way he had become accustomed to.

He was going to teach this fucking hick prospector a lesson on the basic rules of life. The two men had their hands around six inches away from their holsters.

The stranger had a less than toothy grin plastered to his face, while Kane looked as if he were about to rip the man's heart out.

A long moment passed, until the mutual feeling washed over the crowd.

_Texas red had not cleared leather_

'_fore a bullet fairly ripped_ a radio played in the distance, just as the men drew their pistols.

Now normally, the stranger would have the advantage, for his pistols' barrel was shorter, but that made no difference that day.

A thunderous shot rang out and echoed across the vast open wastes.

_And the ranger's aim was deadly with the big iron on his hip_

The bullet soared through the air faster than the speed of sound, hitting its target dead on. The round smashed its way through the ribcage, ripped apart flesh and perforating the heart.

The round caused a shockwave to flood through the targets flesh. This caused more bones to break and even more flesh to tear.

The stranger stumbled back, his face contorted in pain and astonishment; pistol still clutched in his right hand, his left was over a gaping hole in his chest, and through his heart.

He fell to the ground a heaping mass of lifeless flesh, blood seeped through the wound like a stream. His face and hand were now limp.

Kane triumphantly holstered his pistol and walked into the saloon once again, smiling warmly at his beloved Cassidy all the way.

His smile made Cass blush like a schoolgirl.

She quickly regained her composure and caught up with Kane, interlocking her hand with his as they walked into the bar for their triple malt breakfast.

Cass had a bottle of whiskey, an omelet made of an unknown assortment of "food", she preferred the whiskey.

Kane just laughed as her food arrived from the small add on kitchen, and then winced when he saw his own slop.

He _had _ordered a Brahmin steak, medium rare, with hash browns… what he received was a heaping plate of unidentifiable "meat" and some diced pieces of what appeared to be charcoal. He sighed deeply and muttered angrily.

"Had better fucking food in Camp McCarran…"

He then frowned and shrugged, and poured some whiskey over the dish and apprehensively took a bite.

Cass laughed her ass off as he ran outside; holding his hand over his mouth, green in the face.

When he came back into the bar, he looked sickened and more than a little pissed. He groaned about a waste of good whiskey.

He looked at Cass and motioned towards her food. She smiled and pushed the plate away, and he only narrowed her eyes at her and shook his head.

"Coward!" he joked, a smile returning to his face.

Cass gasped and playfully punched Kane in his muscular arm, producing only a hearty laugh from him, as he raised his bottle of fire water.

Cass laughed as well, and followed suit. The couple began chugging at the same time.

It was half passed noon before the pair rolled out; not wanting to stick around to see what was served for lunch. They soon passed through the old rock quarry, the workers had returned to their duties after the Deathclaws were killed by a Boomer artillery bombardment.

Kane had his complete ranger Veteran armor on, including the helmet. It covered his head entirely and left no way for Cass to see his face. While most people wouldn't necessarily see that as a bad thing, she enjoyed seeing his face. She looked upon his scars and was reminded by what he said to her the night at the bar.

She had asked,

"Do those scars ever bother you?"

He just smiled and turned to her,

"Sometimes, but then I remember, I got them protecting you, even if you weren't in immediate danger, that's still the way I see it."

Oh how Cass loved and hated how he turned every conversation away from himself, even if he was the sole person responsible for a great act, he still found a way to include someone else.

He was modest, too modest. While he did accept credit, he always said something along the lines of 'I just did what anyone else would have done' or some such bullshit.

The truth was, he was often far above those around him, but he would still find a way to get them up to his level, if they deserved it.

Cass wondered if he lacked self-esteem, and worried that he also suffered from depression…but she would find out soon enough, as there was a mental health specialist, Dr. Unagi or something like that, in freeside.

Kane was being ordered there by his superiors, AKA, General Lee Oliver himself.

While Cass lost herself in her thoughts, Kane watched the horizon, waiting for something, anything, to try to attack. He had already killed once that day, why not kill again?

He soon got his chance as they neared the entrance to Camp McCarran. He spotted a large group of fiends, and grinned under his helmet, he loved killing fiends.

Cass noticed them too, as she took cover behind a mailbox. She looked over and saw Kane take cover behind a destroyed car, open his duster and swiftly piece the marksman carbine together.

She had at one time wondered how he would be able to use it, but her question was answered as he took only thirteen seconds to piece it together.

He took aim at one of the fiends and squeezed the trigger.

_CRACK_

A fiends' head exploded into a fountain of blood, bone, and grey matter. The remaining six fiends looked at the McCarran wall, expecting to see a sniper to shoot at but found nothing.

_CRACK_

A second fiend collapsed, lifeless before he hit the ground. His fellows scurried for cover in every direction.

_CRACK_

A third fiend was hit, this time in the throat, he dropped to his knees, choking on his own blood, and finally leaned to the side and crumpled, twitching for several moments before becoming still on the street.

_CRACK_

Fiend number four was hit in the side of the head, his body whipped around violently, as blood sprayed into the face of the woman behind him, temporarily blinding her.

She stood and screamed, trying to dislodge a skull fragment from her eye.

_CRACK_

The woman dropped to the ground lifeless, a 5.56 millimeter round replacing the skull fragment in her eye.

_CRACK_

The sixth fiend was caught in the upper back as he attempted to flee the massacre that was unfolding before him. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Kane searched for fiend number seven, only to find her with her hands raised, and her weapons on the ground.

He arose from behind the cover and safety of the car and strode towards her, all the while keeping his crosshairs trained on her head.

When he reached her she dropped to her knees before him, hands behind her head, pleading for her life.

What she said Cass couldn't entirely make out, but as she got up and started coming over to inspect the situation, caravan shotgun in hand, Cass saw Kane whip out one of his .44 magnums.

_BOOM_

The back of the fiend's head exploded like an overripe melon. Her face was contorted and twisted towards the hole in her head. Most of her face, however, was just plain gone.

An eyeball hung into the hole sickeningly.

Cass looked towards the man she loved questioningly,

"Why the fuck did you kill her? She surrendered!"

Kane turned towards her, and began disassembling his carbine.

"I saved her from a brutal interrogation. The NCR would have damn near tortured her for information, and then had her summarily executed. I just cut out the middle man and saved her from a great deal of pain"

His voice was emotionless, and Cass assumed that his face was the same. She was wrong.

Kane hated executing people, but he realized that, sometimes, it's a necessity. This was one of those times, but a tear still ran silently down his cheek.

He took off his helmet and looked to Cass.

She saw the tear and groaned.

"Oh you big baby."

They embraced for a while before continuing on their journey.

'What have I become?' Kane thought.

Authors Notes: Alright, there's your violence, I hope it was satisfactory, because just like all of my other chapters, I make it up as I go, there is no planning. Also, there may be a delay in my next update, since I am currently working on a total of three fics. Also, I'd like to thank all those that have reviewed, for making me feel so special!

Sincerely,

William War


	6. Vegas Baby!

Kane was afraid…of himself. He used to be a champion of justice to the Mojave wasteland, now he was little more than a semi-psycho murderer. Not fifteen minutes ago he had executed a fiend and six of her compatriots.

He butchered them like the drug induced animals they had become. He showed no mercy, even as the one had a moment of sobriety, and surrendered. Kane proceeded to shoot her in the head with one of his 44 magnums.

He remembered how she was weeping, tears cascading down her face. She was on her knees hands behind her head, pleading for her life.

And Kane closed himself to her, and fired a round, point blank into the center of her face. His duster had her now dried blood on it.

'Just another reason to drink' he thought bitterly.

Cass was appalled, and amazed. She was appalled at the complete and utter lack of mercy Kane had shown, but was all the while amazed at the absolute efficiency in which he killed.

Both were probably skills he had honed in his time as a Ranger. She looked him up and down for the fiftieth time. His armor was a mix of gunmetal grey, had scorched black spots and had serial numbers in white paint on his chest plate.

His duster was fairly new, considering it was probably replaced after a few missions. She noticed the silver oak leaf pinned on his duster shoulders, and a third embedded on the right side of his helmet.

She wondered for the first time, what rank he was.

When the two finally arrived at Camp McCarran's gate, the guard stationed behind a sandbag barricade snapped to attention and saluted Kane. Cass could see the fear and respect in the man's eye.

Kane nodded his head and waited for the large metal gate to open.

When the gate opened fully, he motioned for Cass to enter the camp. She complied. It was not her first time in Camp McCarran, as she was also a decorated NCR war hero, but now she was here once again with Kane, her beloved Kane.

Kane took a good look around; the troops were lazing around like the so called 'misfits' of Camp Golf used to…until he whipped them into shape. He exhaled deeply.

"ATTENTION!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs. He was as loud, if not louder, than any drill instructor.

Everyone in the camp simultaneously snapped to attention, as if someone had flipped a switch.

He shook his head at them and lead Cass into the camp's base of operations, the airport.

Kane opened the door for Cass with his left hand, and she noticed once again, the pip-boy he wore when they first met, was long gone.

As the couple entered the dimly lit base, the guard at the door clicked her heels together and saluted Kane. They just kept walking by, heading for Colonel Hsu's office.

An NCR Ranger Veteran replaced the heavy trooper that once guarded the Colonel. The Ranger Veteran also clicked his heels together and saluted.

This time Kane stopped and saluted back.

"Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Kane, here to see Colonel Hsu."

Kane's voice was serious, as was his posture.

"Yes sir, head right on in. The colonel has been expecting you." The Ranger responded, his voice cold and monotone.

Kane nodded and pushed the door open, to find Hsu sitting at his desk, filling out papers of some sort.

"Colonel"

This time it was Kane's turn to straighten and salute.

Hsu looked up and smiled lightly, obviously trying to hold back a grin. He stood and extended his hand to Kane.

Kane took it and they shook hands, the both of them laughing. When the brief greeting was over, Kane and Cass pulled up two chairs by the Colonel's desk.

Kane had removed his helmet, and set it on his lap. Oh how Cass longed to be in that helmet's place, it's crimson eyes looked eternally up at her, mocking her.

But this was neither the time, nor the place for such a thing.

"How have you been Kane? You sure as hell don't look as good as the last time we met!"

Kane shook his head and laughed.

"I'm fine Hsu. And I see you're still here getting fat and lazy, pushing paper and pencil all day, not having to worry about combat except for the occasional fiend, or drunk freesider!"

Now it was Hsu who laughed

"Think what you may, but this is nothing of a cushy job. Those fiends are hitting us hard. They have reformed, and although you killed their leaders, they are now under new management."

Both men were dead serious.

"I've noticed an increase in activity…" Kane said, referring to the fiend hunting party he had massacred that day.

"Yeah? And I've noticed an increase in deaths. Every day, I end up signing forms to ship a soldier or caravaneer back home because of those bastards…but you're not here for that are you?"

Kane shook his head

"Afraid not friend, I'm here for a little rest and relaxation."

"And to see a mental therapist."

"Well, yeah, that too."

"Hmmm, well, it looks like your first appointment is going to be held here, in Captain Curtis's old office, tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. I expect you to be on time."

Kane rose from his seat and Cass followed suit.

Kane and Hsu shook hands again and parted ways. Cass had stayed silent the whole time, not wanting to interfere in military business. Now she and Kane headed for the recently repaired monorail, headed for the strip.

They walked passed two guards at the entrance to the monorail, both of them saluting. Kane nodded towards them and held the door open for Cass.

When they boarded the monorail, they found that it was full of soldiers going on a three day leave. Kane managed to 'find' them both seats.

Cass spent the entire ride embracing Kane; he had his arm wrapped around her, holding her close, all the while wishing that they were alone…

When the monorail stopped, it was night. All occupants of the car waited for Kane and Cass to get off first, yet another perk of Kane's high rank and reputation.

The couple passed through the station, and walked out onto the strip.

It was beautiful at night, every neon light shining like a star, music played through loud speakers everywhere, but Cass couldn't make out the words, she was too busy being carried by Kane bridal style to the lucky 38.

To their home.

Kane held her up for the longest time, until they reached the presidential suite. He carried her into his bedroom and placed her on the bed.

He stepped back and stripped off his armor and duster. He set his weapons on a table beside him.

Cass soon found herself doing the exact same as him. She too stripped until they were down to nothing but their skivvies.

Cass was wearing some lacy black underwear and bra that gave an excellent view of her…assets.

Kane was down to his military issue boxers, that didn't leave much to the imagination. He watched in delight as Cass's eyes widened at what she saw.

The mood was romantic. And sparks were about to fly when they came forward and kissed deeply. They fell back on the bed, each held in the other's embrace…

Until that is, something happened.

"ROSE OF SHARRON CASSIDY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT TO MOUNT A STRANGE MAN IN KANE'S BEDROOM?"

Veronica's voice and presence shattered the tender moment like a sledgehammer to cheap glass. She was standing in the doorway, wearing an expensive looking evening gown.

Next to her was a groggy Arcade, wearing his usual scientist attire.

"What's going on here?" He asked, with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Cass was about to FUCK a strange man in KANE'S bed!" Veronica, and Kane were best friends, and she promised to look out for Cass while he was away fighting Ceasar.

Kane laughed nervously, as he threw on his Merc Grunt outfit, and Cass threw her clothes on.

"Hey Veronica! Long time no see!" Kane grinned, once fully dressed.

The pissed off beyond belief Veronica simmered down when she heard that hoarse, husky voice.

"K-K-Kane?" she managed to stutter as her jaw dropped.

"The one and only!" Kane could only laugh as Veronica plowed into him, squeezing him tightly.

"You have some explaining to do mister!" Arcade managed to input.

'you have no idea pal.' Kane could only think.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So yeah, I wanted to make this chapter serious, but then I read all of the great reviews I got from my loyal fans, and just could not contain my happiness, so I made it a little more uplifting than usual. Also, thank you guys soooo much for your support, I never thought of myself as a great writer, but you guys continue to inspire and uplift me. And also, Readaholic Writer 457, if you are reading this, thanks for the Idea, I have considered it carefully, and I will incorporate it into the next few chapters! See you guys later!

Sincerely

William War


	7. The Massacre

"Kane, what the fuck are you doing here?" Veronica managed to say.

She had managed to get ahold of herself long enough to let go of him and ask. She _had_ intended to go out, hit the casino's, find a nice girl, and have some fun. Now she was just trying to hold back her tears.

She had loved Kane like a brother, when he had left she felt like her brother was marching off to war. Just like Cass, she had waited with baited breath, expecting any day to come home, to find the dreaded letter.

The letter that told of Kane's untimely demise, and how he was a 'brave and valiant soldier, who died in in the name of democracy and freedom' Same bullshit they sent out to every family that had lost a member.

Kane had told on his enlistment file, that Cass was his wife, and Veronica his sister. It wasn't too far from the truth; he and Cass loved each other like the perfect married couple.

Now Kane was home… now he was safe, free to love Cass, free to relax, free to let his guard down, free to start a family if he and Cass wanted.

He looked down at her and smiled.

"I'm on leave to see a mental health specialist… superiors are worried that I'll go crazy one day, and they're probably right."

Veronica's heart dropped, Kane wasn't free, he was only given some more slack to his military leash.

Arcade chimed in,

"Well, considering the sheer amount of scars on your body, I'm guessing that you've seen quite a lot, so seeing a metal health specialist wouldn't be a bad move."

Kane only nodded.

Cass remembered that she had yet to inquire about the fresh scars on his body. She looked to him, wanting to let her fears be heard, but only lost herself in his cold blue eyes.

Picking up on the amount of curiosity in the room, Kane sighed deeply.

"You guys want to hear my story? You want to hear about all of the shit that I've been through to the past thirty seven months? Well alright, I'll tell you, but in a more comfortable setting."

The trio of non-military personal looked around the room, they were in a large luxury bedroom, with personal computer, a few wardrobes, a weapons locker or two, and to top it all off, a King sized bed.

What could be a more comfortable place?

Their eyes meet, and said at the same time, in perfect synchronization.

"Cocktail lounge."

After a short elevator ride, they arrived at the cocktail lounge, it had a view of the entire strip, comfortable seats, and most importantly, a fully stocked bar.

Kane took a bartender's position behind the bar, and the others sat down in the bar stools.

Kane leaned up against the bar.

"Well, where the fuck do I begin?"

Cass looked up

"You could start by telling why you were sent back."

The others nodded and mumbled in agreement.

"Well fine then." Kane sighed deeply.

"Where to begin? Well I guess I'll start by telling how I got so fucked up. I was in command of a large strikeforce. We had received intel that there was a large Legion encampment just east of Tucson. We received the orders to attack it, kill everything, and leave it as an example for any and all legion soldiers to see…it was just a strike against their moral."

He stopped and poured himself a glass of whiskey, downed it, and slammed the glass down on the bar.

"We hit them early in the morning, shelled them with some artillery, kicked up a lot of dust. We entered the encampment guns blazing, gunning down everything we saw. Women, children, anyone who stood in our way was removed. I had seen women and children used as suicide bombers time and time again, so I was no stranger to killing them. It still pained me to do so, but I wouldn't allow myself to let anyone under my command die needlessly. After a while I saw, what I thought was a barracks. I kicked in the door, threw in a grenade, and after it detonated entered it with the intent to kill everything. I entered and saw some kids kneeling over their mother…"

He broke out in tears.

"It took me a while to realize, but after I saw that, I told all troops to stand down. We waited for the dust to settle, and we saw that we were not attacking a military encampment, we were slaughtering the families of soldiers… we were slaughtering innocent civilians!"

Kane grabbed another bottle of whiskey and chugged it. When he was done, he threw the bottle aside and slammed his fists on the counter.

"It was my fault! Their blood is on my hands! I am directly responsible for the deaths of several hundred civilians! I WAS IN COMMAND! I WAS RESPONSIBLE! I AM A MASS MURDERER!"

He was breaking down into hysterics; he wrapped his arms around himself, and went into the fetal position. He was sobbing full on now.

Cass jumped over the bar, and held him close to her. She loved the feel of him in her arms, she felt his arms wrap around her and they shared a warm embrace once more.

"I nearly shot myself that night. I sure as hell wanted to…but something stopped me."

He looked to Cass.

"You stopped me. I remembered your crying face from that night in the medical tent, and that is what stopped me."

Cass's heart melted, the man she loved had fought, killed and nearly died all for her, and he still found reason to thank her.

"Sorry to interrupt this tender moment, but I believe that I have a temporary solution."

Arcade had interrupted, looking as calm as ever.

"And how do you suppose we do that?"

Cass questioned her attention still on Kane.

"I say we hit the casinos baby!"

Meanwhile, across the desert, miles away, a team of assassins gathered on the banks of the Colorado river.

They were being headed by one of the easts most feared and respected members of Caesars' Praetorian Guard… Aeries Inculta.

His brother Vulpes Inculta, had been killed by the one known as "The Courier" over three years ago, and had, not a month ago, massacred hundreds of innocent civilians…including the wife and young child of Aeries Inculta.

Caesar only knows how many people died at his hands… the thought seemingly chilled the desert night wind.

"Courier…I will find you!"

Author's Notes: Well you guys, I am really, reaaaally tired! So this chapter FUCKING SUCKS, but even if it does, I hope now you have started to realize what has fucked Kane's mind up so bad, he has seen child suicide bombers, headed a massacre, seen one of his best friends die, was separated from the love of his life, and has generally done and seen more than his fair fucking share. Also, I know you guys are still pissed at the interrupted lemon, but come on, I HAD to insert Veronica and Arcade sometime, and I thought, why not? Anyways, review, favorite and send ideas, because I am running on empty here guys!

P.S. Sorry to burst youur bubble wolfy, but Vulpes is dead, or did you not catch that? Anyways, fiends will be a major enemy, powder gangers will be part of the fiends, but no, I won't have the boomers taken over, nor will I have Cass be kidnapped, She and Kane might eventually be seperated, but it won't be like that... it's too cliche. I appreciate the review, and the idea, but I cannot make it work, sorry.

Sincerely

William War


	8. Die for her

Arcade's idea of hitting the casinos, getting wasted, and just generally having a good time did not fall upon deaf ears. While Kane was a bit too depressed to want to do anything, he was outnumbered three-to-one.

Besides that, he knew Cass would have a good time, and that alone was enough to convince him to go on this little escapade with his little group of friends… his little family.

They readied themselves for a night on the town. Each one of them wore their finest clothes. Veronica was already wearing her black dress, that ended just below her knees, showing off all of her tools used to seduce her unsuspecting prey… adventurous young women.

She allowed her raven black hair, that flowed elegantly down to her upper back, to flow freely, no restraints.

'she grew it out' Kane thought in passing.

Arcade was hearing a navy blue tuxedo, with matching bow tie, his hair gelled and done up just right. He was determined not to sleep alone again tonight. He WOULD find a nice guy to take home.

The thought made Kane shudder.

Kane walked out of his room only to induce a simultaneous jaw drop from Veronica and Arcade.

He was dressed in a slick black suit, wearing a black tie (not bow-tie) polished black leather shoes, a snow white dress shirt, and platinum cufflinks.

He had showered, and cleaned himself up to the best of his abilities.

His corn silk colored hair shined ever so slightly, he had put on a chap stick like substance, so his lips were no longer rough and chapped.

His eyes seemed an even colder blue in the light. His scars, reflected the light fractionally.

In all, Kane looked the best he had ever looked.

"You guys ready?"

The trio turned to see Cass standing in the doorway of her room, leaning seductively against the finish.

This time it was Kane's jaw that dropped.

Cass was dressed in a white evening gown, that was the exact same as Veronica's, except that her dress ended halfway up her shin and was cut on the sides to the knee.

She styled her shoulder length brunette hair so that it waved slightly.

She had on a light amount of mascara, some eye liner, and lipstick the color of a rich crimson.

She was wearing white high heels, and had a small white hand bag dangling from her fingertips.

She was, what Kane envisioned as, an angel, fresh from the pearly gates of heaven. Kane never figured himself as a profoundly religious man, but he could only stand in awe of the perfection that god had created.

A thought clicked in Arcade and Veronica's minds simultaneously.

'He is sooo whipped!'

They may have been right, but Kane didn't care, he was happiest around Cass… she had made life bearable for him when he was on the front lines, now she made his life complete.

They had each other, they completed each other, but someday, they would have to leave each other.

Neither Kane, nor Cass thought that far ahead. To the day that his superiors deemed him combat ready and sent him back to the front.

Neither one wanted to think that far ahead, now they just lived for the moment, enjoying every second that they had together.

Cass blushed at the effect that she had on the trio, especially Kane. She loved the way he looked, so sleek, so business like, so clean, so… sexy!

She longed for him, she wanted to rip his clothes off of him right then and there, and as she was sure the feeling was mutual.

Kane finally composed himself.

"Well, I didn't get all dressed up to have us stand around all night ogling each other, let's go!"

Cass bounded forward gracefully, and wrapped herself around Kane's left arm.

They gazed into each other's eyes the entire elevator ride down, making the short trip incredibly awkward for Arcade and Veronica.

When they walked out into the street, the group separated. Arcade and Veronica, going to Gomorrah, while Cass and Kane headed for the much classier Tops Casino.

Before anyone could head in anyway more than ten meters, a shout rang out.

"FOR THE GREAT KHANS!"

A stranger in a cheap suit jumped towards Kane. Kane stopped the man dead in his tracks with a right cross to the face, dislocating the man's jaw, he then followed up by throwing the man over his shoulder to drop to the hard asphalt below.

The man hit the ground with a hard thump, but under that, Kane heard a sharp plinking sound…

The sound of a pin being pulled from a grenade.

Kane saw the source, resting on the man's chest was a live grenade.

Instinctively, Kane dove upon the grenade, and took one last look up to Cass.

"I love y-"

He was cut off by the grenade's explosion.

Authors Notes: Holy shit this chapter was short! Oh the suspense! Oh the tragedy! What will the outcome be? Will Kane somehow survive the explosion? What will become of Cass? Will Arcade and Veronica ever find that one special someone? Is this the end for "A Ranger's Sorrows"? You guys had better tell me, or I WILL let this be the end, so shoot me some ideas damnit! ...Also please make sure your ideas aren't too cliche, thank you

William War signing off.


	9. I am alive

Kane instinctively dove upon the grenade, and took one last look up at Cass.

"I love y-"

He was cut off by the grenade's explosion.

Cass was mortified. She didn't know what happened, all of a sudden a stranger wearing a cheap, dirty suit was sprinting towards Kane, then the next thing she knows, Kane is looking up at her with a certain look in his eye.

A look of complete commitment.

His last words before the explosion, were confessing his love, while he didn't need to tell her he loved her, neither one of them actually ever said to the other, 'I love you'.

And somehow, as a cruel twist of fate, he wasn't even able to complete his sentence before he was thrown a full meter into the air, landing on asphalt, head first.

Cass was brought to her knees, not just by the grenade's shockwave, but by the sheer fact that she had just seen the only man in her life take not a bullet, but a FUCKING GRENADE for her. She gazed upon his crumpled body and saw what appeared to be, some metal sticking out.

It was far bigger than shrapnel, and wasn't gun metal grey like his armor. Then it dawned upon Cass, he had been wearing some combat armor under his suit.

For once, Cass was glad that her man was so fucked up in the head. Kane had been so paranoid as to wear armor for a night on the town.

Cass saw through the tears flooding out of her eyes, a slight, labored rising and falling in Kane's chest.

Kane was alive… barely.

Before Cass could stand, he was swarmed my NCR troops. They each new the colonel's face, as he was the most highly decorated man in the Republic.

They lifted him, and carried him in the direction of the monorail, leading towards Camp McCarran. Towards doctors used to dealing with these kinds of wounds. The soldiers were carrying him towards hope, towards the slim possibility of survival.

Cass watched as they hurriedly carried Kane up the stairs, and through the entrance to the station.

She wanted to get up and follow them, but it was too much for her to bear. She couldn't even gather enough composure to stand, let alone stand, run to the monorail, wait for it to return, ride it over, and find Kane to be, more likely than not, dead as dead can be.

Her mascara and eyeliner were running, she had looked like an angel, now she looked like shit. Her dress was torn by some loose shrapnel, but she wasn't hit. She had dark streaks running down her face, she was sitting on the ground, and on top of it all, she was dying.

She was dying of a broken heart. Cass could not even have the slightest inkling of what life would be without her beloved Kane, she just couldn't.

Veronica, and Arcade, recovered from being stunned themselves, and hurried over to Cass. They each lifted her to her feet and lead her toward the Lucky 38.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Veronica looked sympathetically into Cass's eyes, but got no response, just tears. Cass had stopped sobbing; now it was just a silent, unstoppable flow of tears.

Cass finally responded.

"I have to see him!"

"You're in no shape to be seen by anyone, young lady." Arcade said, half-jokingly.

It was another half hour before they had Cass in her usual caravaneer outfit, and they headed to Camp McCarran. Arcade was back in his scientist outfit, while Veronica was still in her dress and high heels… she REALLY loves her dress doesn't she?

They arrived at camp McCarran and immediately headed towards the medical tent, at the back of the camp.

Along the way they received approving murmurs, and cries of sentiment from the soldiers.

When they arrived at the medical tent, the flap that posed as a door was shut. Two Veteran Rangers stood guard outside, 12 gauges at the ready.

From outside the tent, Cass and the others could hear the commotion.

Doctors were yelling over one another, calling for pans, more pressure on a certain spot, blood packs, clamps, scalpel, stim packs, ect.

Soon Cass heard a long drawn out beeping sound, followed by even more yelling.

"SHIT HE'S FLATLINEING!"

"HOOK HIM UP, HOOK HIM UP!"

"CLEAR!"

Cass heard what sounded like some sort of electronic zapping sound…then she understood. Kane _was dead_ and the doctors were trying to bring him back. She covered her mouth as to not scream in horror at the discovery.

"CLEAR!"

She heard the zapping again, now she had tears welling up.

"ONE MORE TIME! CLEAR!"

For the third time, Cass heard the zapping… followed by a series of steady beeps.

"I'VE GOT A PULSE!"

"CAUTERIZE THAT WOUND!"

"SET THE BONE RIGHT GODDAMN IT!"

Cass listened with baited breath outside the tent all night. She eventually found sleep in a bunk offered to her by a concerned NCR soldier.

She awoke early the next morning, to see a doctor coming out of the medical tent, gloves drenched in blood, 'Kane's blood…' she thought.

Although Arcade and Veronica had gone back to the lucky 38, Cass remained vigilant, just had Kane did for her, nearly three years ago.

Cass stood before the doctor, just one more catastrophe from a mental breakdown. She needed some good fucking news, and she needed it now!

"Doctor? Please How is he?"

The doctor, an older man with thinning black hair, and stress lines smiled.

"Well we had more than a few close calls, but he'll be fine. He had five broken ribs, a deflated lung, a perforated stomach, a major concussion, and twenty –three pieces of shrapnel lodged in him. However, with the amount of stim packs we put into him, combined with some meds he'll have to take, he should be good in about a week."

Cass nearly screamed with glee, he'd be fine, just more scars to his seemingly endless tally. She looked at the doctor questioningly, and opened her mouth to speak when the doctor interrupted her.

"You're Cass right?"

She nodded.

"Good! He's been wanting to see you for some time now…"

He pulled open the tent flap, and motioned for her to enter.

Her eyes scanned the area, searching through blood drenched utensils, and several machines, until she found him, laying on a med, hooked up to a heartbeat monitor, and a few other machines.

She ran to his side, and took his hand in hers lovingly.

He looked up at her and gave her a smile.

"Boone says hello."

Author's notes: Well thank you guys for allowing me to continue my fic. I know some of you have questions, but they will _all_ be answered in the next installment. And btw, to a Mr. or Ms. Jordan Levi, thank you for the compliments, and the review, it really touched my heart to know that there are people out there who love reading the impromptu ramblings of a bored 16 year old… but seriously, I love you guys for all of your kindness and support, without it, I would have given up on this story a long time ago. Sorry if this chapter is a little cliché, but it was the best I could do at the time being.

Until next time, this is William War signing off.


	10. Shattered hopes, and bones

Kane tried to sit up in the bed, but found it was impossible to do without immense amounts of pain. His ribcage felt like it was going to break all over again. He wanted to let out a string of profanities so long that Sam Kinison would have blushed… but what he got instead was the air knocked right out of him.

Kane fell back on the bad gasping for breath. He looked at the doctor with rage in his eyes.

"Colonel, you are going to have to relax!"

Kane did as he was told and relaxed on the bed, as the pain slowly subsided.

"Now colonel, you were critically injured, to say the least, so you're going to have to take it easy for a few days. No excitement, no moving around, no lifting, and certainly no sex! Also, you're going to have to eat light so you're going to be limited to M.R.E.s (Meals Ready to Eat, look them up) and water. Your liver was hit by three pieces of shrapnel, and it's going to be a good week before you can drink. One of your lungs deflated, so wait a week before you smoke again, just to be safe."

Kane let out a long, audible groan. The doctor had killed his hopes of having any fun for the next week, and had also killed any hope of spending some much needed _alone time_ with Cass.

On top of that he was limited to eating fucking M.R.E.s and those things suck! To add some icing to this veritable cake of misery, Kane couldn't smoke or drink for the next week, and he is an alcoholic/smoker.

Cass looked on in amusement as Kane tried holding back the strong urge, he undoubtedly had, to strangle the doctor then and there.

While she was disappointed to hear about all the things he couldn't do, she saw this as an opportunity for them to really get reconnected on a spiritual level. She wanted to know all about what he had done, in full detail, for the past three years.

Of course she planned on telling him everything that she did too, well, almost everything. She would tell Kane whatever he wanted to know, except for that night…

She was snapped back into reality, by Kane painfully attempting to stand.

He was still hooked up to the machines, the many cords and wires restrained him from moving very far. Kane hurriedly ripped the damned mechanical veins off of him, and attempted to stand once again.

It was hard for him to stay upright, his legs wanted to give out, and his head throbbed. He clutched his ribcage with his right arm, trying to hold back a cry of pain, while his left hand, planted firmly on the bed, steadied him.

Finally, he worked up the energy to begin walking over to a chair that had draped over it, his grunt outfit.

Veronica, being the caring person she was, brought him some clothes, as his suit was shredded. Kane wobbled a bit, but motioned for the doctor and Cass to stay back.

If he was going to be a slug for a week or so, he would at least keep _some_ dignity.

He went behind a curtain and changed from the exposing patient robe (can't think of what they call it) and into his grunt outfit. Before he put on his shirt he felt the bandages that covered nearly his entire chest and stomach.

He winced in pain, and bit down on his lower lip, as he accidentally touched the area just below his ribs, where the grenade was before it blew. Kane attempted to make a mental tally of all of the scars he had now, but lost track easily.

After delicately putting on his shirt, he staggered over to Cass.

Cass watched as the veteran who had battled death, for the second time and won again, staggered towards her. She stood from the chair she had been sitting in and grabbed him, propping him up before he fell to the concrete ground below.

He panted, as though he had just run a five mile long obstacle course. Cass embraced him, she was so happy to have him back again… her joy was interrupted by a sharp cry of pain.

Cass had been squeezing Kane's broken ribs!

Author's Notes: Well guys I know, I know, this chapter lacks quality and length, but you have no idea what kind of crazy stuff has been going on in my life as of late! I only made this chapter to show why the next few will be so boring, and probably consist of flashbacks. Also, I just wanted to give, you, my beloved readers, something more to read. I promise that the next chapter will meet your undoubtedly high standards, and hopefully, mine as well.

Send me some ideas please. Review, message, favorite, alert, whatever… just help me, help you.

Sincerely,

William War


	11. Damned Existence

Kane tossed and turned in bed, still in a deep sleep. He was dreaming. For anyone normal, that is most likely not a bad thing, but for a man like Kane, dreams are just ways of reliving the past.

The past Kane wanted oh so desperately to forget.

But this time it was different, it wasn't a memory, but an honest to god night terror.

Kane felt restrained, as if chained to a wall. He thrashed to get free, but his binds did not loosen. He looked forward.

In front of him he saw himself in full armor about to execute the raider from a few days ago.

However, instead of the fiend, Cass was on her knees in front of him. She was crying just as hard as the fiend was, and she looked battered and beaten.

Kane tried to escape from his bondage with a renewed vigor, but to no avail. He looked to Cass once again.

She gazed into his eyes and muttered under a sob.

"Please don't go…"

Kane's heart dropped as he saw his armor produce one of his .44 magnums, aim, and shoot Cass in the head.

Her face contorted the very same way the fiends did, as an eye ball hung sickeningly in the entry wound.

Kane yelled at the top of his lungs, but found that he was mute. His chains grew taught as his armor aimed at him.

It released a hoarse farewell.

"You did this!"

The gun fired…

And Kane jolted awake, wanting to scream, but instead found himself clutching his ribs, gasping for breath.

He fell back upon his bed and looked up at the ceiling.

"What the hell does it all mean?" He asked himself aloud.

Cass came in to check up on Kane, to make sure he wasn't uncomfortable, or hungry, or whatever. She thought of it as returning a favor, that she had owed since that fateful night in the field hospital at Camp Forlorn Hope.

She also genuinely wanted him to be comfortable, and she genuinely wanted to be near him, to make him happy.

As she approached his room, she thought of all of the shit he must have been through, child suicide bombers, the massacre, seeing Boone die, and countless other scenarios that he had yet to inform her of.

She shuddered at even thinking of what it did to him subconsciously.

Cass opened Kane's door to find him awake, looking up at the ceiling.

She noticed the sweat beads on his forehead, the damp shine that his hair had, the pure and utter lack of any human emotion in his eyes. God only knows what he was thinking of, because Kane wasn't exactly an outgoing guy.

Cass walked over to the chair next to his bed, and sat down in it. Still no response from him, then she tenderly placed his hand in hers.

His eyes focused, and emotion returned to them. The emotion was a mixture of love and pain. He turned his head to her and smiled.

"I dreamt about you Cass…"

She blushed slightly, taking the sentence the wrong way.

"I hope it wasn't _too_ kinky Colonel." Her tone turned from seductive to mocking, at the last word. She watched in slight amusement as he fought back a laugh, which would have been excruciatingly painful.

Kane composed himself and looked once again to her.

"It wasn't like that Cass…"

She looked toward the man she loved questioningly. If he wasn't dreaming about her like that, then how was he dreaming about her? She braced herself for what was to come next.

"If it wasn't like that then what was it like?"

"I…I was chained to something… you were on your knees…you were crying. I had to watch as I, I mean, my armor walked up to you and…"

He broke into sobs.

"Walked up to you and killed you!"

She gasped in horror, if this is what he was dreaming about then maybe he _was_ fucked up! Or maybe, it was a manifestation of his fears? Oh well, maybe the shrink would know more.

Cass just focused on comforting her man, for the next week, until the day came…

_**One week later**_

Kane was back to his old self. He could drink, he could fight, he could smoke, he could eat, he could be a man… but all was not well in his life.

Although Kane was wounded by the Kahn with the grenade, who just happened to be some overzealous soldier who wanted to avenge his tribe, the mental specialist still kept her appointment.

She came to the lucky 38 twice every day. She diagnosed him as having post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, severe anger issues, survivors' guilt, and as to having mild psychopathic tendencies.

"Yep, that's Kane!" As Veronica so eloquently put it.

Through it all, she deemed him mentally stable enough to go back to the front lines. She also listened to Kane describe the dream, which she said was a manifestation of the fear that his military career would kill his and Cass's relationship.

She wasn't so far off.

The very day that Kane was deemed combat ready, he was given his marching orders. He was being picked up via vertibird, and being transported back to the front the next day.

That night, he told Cass. He told her that he would write to her as often as he could. She didn't listen, she just yelled at him.

She said that he was killing her on the inside, that she had already lost him once, no twice, and couldn't stand to lose him again.

Before he could respond, she ran into her room, slammed the door behind her, and locked it.

Kane just stood there, staring at the door, rage in his eyes.

He just turned and packed his weapons, ammunition, blades, polished his armor, and got a few hours of sleep before heading out.

Kane marched to the monorail concourse, up to the platform, and into the tram. He was in full armor, not allowing anyone to see the tortured look on his face.

He sat down in a seat on the monorail car, next to some soldiers whom were also getting redeployed to the front lines.

At least their last night in the safety of Vegas had more likely than not been a good one, he thought bitterly.

When the monorail stopped, he hurriedly got out. He headed into the concourse, and down an escalator, to Colonel Hsu's office.

He reported in, and was escorted to the helipad.

The transport was running late, due to some strong winds along the flight path.

Around a half hour later, the familiar humming of the vertibird's blades could be heard from the ground. It descended quickly, yet gracefully.

It landed and the side door slid open, exposing the cargo hold of the transport.

Kane stepped up, and into the vertibird.

Just as he was about to take a seat on one of the small fold out seats on the wall, he heard his name being called.

"Kane! KANE!"

It was Cass. He could see her sprinting past the guards, rushing towards the transport.

Kane hung onto a hand rail, leaning half way out of the helicopter, arm extended.

Cass reached him and interlocked her hand with his, tears in her eyes.

As the chopper took off, Kane and Cass loosened their grip on each other, and let their fingers slowly slide apart, savoring every last moment of physical contact.

As their middle fingers parted, the helicopter began to quickly gain altitude. Kane watched Cass until he could no longer see her.

He sat down in his seat, and closed the side door.

He was now going back to his miserable, damned existence. He could not die, and he could not truly live. He was only truly alive when he was with her…

And now he had lost her again.

His dream began to feel less like a dream, and more like a premonition for what had just happened. His military career, his armor essentially, had killed Cass's spirit.

Just another reason to drink, he thought.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I know that you guys may be a little pissed at me, but I had to do it._** review or this will be the end i demand at least 5 reviews or cass and kane will be permanently seperated! **_Also, on a side note, today was my birthday! YAY! Whoopdie-fucking-doo! Anyways, please review, and all of that good shit. I hope that this chapter was of satisfactory quality.

William War signing off.


	12. The Speech From Hell

Kane paced up and down the main row in the mess hall, eyeing the fresh recruits he had just received from the top brass. They were a sorry looking bunch, rag tags and misfits, every last one of them.

Kane was in his old Merc Grunt outfit, his combat boots making a slight click on the concrete floor below. He had his .44 magnums holstered on either side of his waist.

He was intimidating to say the very least. He looked into the eyes of every single man and woman who looked upon him, immediately sending their eyes to the floor. All except for one, a shapely blonde haired woman with a beautiful, soft face and an hourglass figure underneath her armor. She just met his gaze.

"You are not in Shady Sands anymore, you're in Arizona. My name is Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Kane. I am in command of this regiment. I am here to whip you into shape, before Caesar and his band of, toga wearing faggots kills every…last…one of you."

He reached the front of the aisle, and turned on his heel. He smirked as his new troops attempted to wipe the horror off of their faces, as their commanding officer had just as well have told them they would all die.

He interlocked his hands behind his back and continued his speech.

"The brass has sent you here because this is the most heavily contested region outside of Tucson. They believe you band of criminals, misfits, and fuck-ups, are worthless. I however, want you to stay alive as long as possible, because I want to make it home to my…" He paused, trying to think of what to call his group of friends,

"My family."

A soldier in the front row snickered. Kane strode up to him, lifted him to his feet and slammed his fist into the soldier's face, sending him to the floor immediately. The soldier groaned in pain as a medic dragged him away.

Kane turned and continued on his speech.

"And if that means I have to use one of you numb-nuts-sons of bitches as a human meat shield, that will have to do! You were sent here, not because you were the best, or the brightest, but because, you would not be missed! You maggots had best shape up, or I will personally beat the living hell out of you. It would be wise to get to know the troopers who have been here for more than a week; they know more about combat than any one person should have to. They have been through hell and back, and if they survive this tour, will be mixed into the rangers."

He watched as a few 'maggots' looked around in excitement at the possibility of being a ranger. Kane just gave them a hard look, and they stopped moving, and sat up straight.

"On the off chance that you survive, I will personally welcome you into the rangers. But before you fill your heads with ideas of grandeur, know this; the average lifetime for a fresh trooper out here is two and a half weeks. The ones that live longer than that, are considered commandos by the NCR's standards, but you will not last a week if you do not follow my orders!"

Kane glanced around, noting the somber expressions on most of the trooper's faces, all except for the shapely blond. She continued to gaze at the Colonel.

"You will follow the orders of your superior officers to the letter, anything less, and you will be dead within the hour, follow the orders, and as I said, you may last a few days, maybe more. Out there…"

He stopped and pointed out towards the front lines,

"Everything that eats, breaths, shits, fucks, and otherwise, wants to gouge out your eyeballs and skull-fuck you! Everything beyond our first line of defense is considered Legion territory, and thus, has some fucked up shit going on in it. I have seen child suicide bombers, mothers throwing their booby-trapped children at soldiers, sons picking up their father's gun and continuing to fight in his place, entire towns massacred, and much, much more."

He pointed towards his scared face

"And I am lucky to have only gotten these for my efforts."

He began pacing up and down the aisle once more, glaring at the occasional trooper. Kane's eyes fell upon the shapely blond once more.

She was still meeting his gaze, a small, warm hearted smile on her face. He scowled; he was supposed to put the fear of god into these assholes, not be a playmate to them.

"You!" He said while pointing to the blonde, "Sound off!"

She nodded and stood up straight,

"Corporal Violet Andrews, serial number 4567812001, sir!" Her smile never leaving her face.

He got in her face, and her smile widened a little.

"Do you think I am cute corporal? Do you think I am funny? Do I amuse you Andrews?"

She looked him in the eyes, cocked her head to the side and said,

"Sir, I do think you are a little cute… but no sir, I do not believe you are funny."

OHHHH, that did it! Kane refused to be eye candy for a subordinate.

"I think I'm funny! I think I'm down right fucking hilarious! Hell, if I wanted to, I could laugh Caesar to death! And what about me is cute, I think I'm ugly don't you?"

Violet's smile faded slightly,

"Sir, I mean no disrespect, but I don't find you funny. You're cute because I look into your eyes and see the real you, the you that just wants to –"

Kane yelled in her face,

"NOT ANOTHER FUCKING WORD OUT OF YOU CORPORAL! I WILL SEE YOU IN PRIVATE, THE REST OF YOU ARE DISMISSED!"

The soldiers immediately gathered their things and left, occasionally mumbling about how fucked the corporal was. Kane inwardly smiled, he had given off the impression that he was to be feared more than Caesar, which in and of itself, was no small task. Now they would follow his orders, they would rather die now than piss him off.

He walked up to the corporal, and calmly stated.

"You could have fucked up my entire plan, had you finished your sentence… you were breaking regulations. You must be punished" he said while smirking.

"Come with me corporal."

He lead her outside.

He pointed in a direction, and she faced that direction.

"Shady Sands is that way, you are to stand here saluting that direction, until I tell you otherwise!"

Violet did as she was told, expecting a short ten-minute punishment. She had seen in his eyes, a kind and loving person, so he wouldn't let this drag on… right?

WRONG

He placed a band on her arm, that weighed five pounds, while she saluted. He then walked away, back to his tent.

Violet Andrews stood there, arm aching like she had never felt before, until she lost all feeling in her arm. She lost track of time and soon ten minutes felt like ten hours, all the while she was being baked by the hot desert sun.

Eventually she collapsed from dehydration, and was rushed to the infirmary.

Kane smiled, the young Corporal was even afraid to cross him now, wasn't she? He thought of her, and how she resembled Cass in some ways, but was the complete opposite in others…

Cass…

"I need a drink." He said while lighting a cigarette.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Got inspiration for this chapter from AVATAR, and FULL METAL JACKET, as Kane resembles the colonel in Avatar, but has Sgt. Hartman's attitude. Anyways, that is Kane's military persona, a sadistic son of a bitch! The next chapter will revolve around Cass, I think, not sure yet.

William War signing off.


	13. Depression, and a Siege

Kane was drunk, he staggered back and forth inside of his tent. He finally plopped down into a chair, and plucked a whiskey bottle from the ground.

Empty.

He groaned and threw it angrily out the tent flap; and smiled as he heard it shatter against a rock. He pulled one of his 44's out of its holster, and made sure it was loaded.

It was.

He smiled, and cocked back the hammer of the gun, and placed it against his head. He had no more reason to live. He would never see his beloved Rose of Sharon Cassidy again, he had seen and done more than his fair share in the name of _freedom_.

Freedom, that word had no more meaning to him, he hadn't been free in two months… two agonizing months. And now, he was trapped, with only a few options, all of them ending in his death.

He took a inhaled sharply, and let his trigger finger tense. The trigger was pulled, and the happed flew forward.

One last thought ran through his mind: 'Good-bye Cass.'

**TWO MONTH'S EARLIER**

Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Kane awoke from a troubled sleep, it was early in the morning. Too early, even for military standards. He groggily pried himself from his cot, and dressed in his full ranger armor.

Strapping on his holsters and ammo belt, he thought of Cass, for some reason or another. He was about to dawn his helmet, when he stopped, and placed his helmet back upon the table in front of him.

He listened carefully, beyond the calling of the crows, beyond the usual chatter of the soldiers in the camp. He heard something all too familiar… the marching of troops in a tight formation. The clanging of plate armor and Latin war cries. He knew this sound all too well, it was a legion attack force, and it wasn't too far away.

He slammed his helmet on and leapt through the doorway of his tent.

He knew he was going to be in for a hell of a fight…

**MEANWHILE**

Cass was irritable, and depressed, as she had been for the past few weeks… ever since Kane was redeployed. She had written to him more than once, but knew that all of her letters had to be passed through several channels, and then censored before they would reach him.

She had spent her days in the Goodsprings saloon, and her nights in the little shack she and Kane had shared, praying for his safe return.

She was working on drowning her sorrows, when the music was interrupted by the voice of Mr. New Vegas.

"Hello there ladies and gentlemen, it's me Mr. New Vegas, bringing you the latest news from the front. War time correspondents around the Tucson area, are reporting a surge of activity. Apparently, the NCR firebase called 'Devil Ridge', has been surrounded by Legion forces and cut off from the NCR entirely."

Cass, along with everyone else in the bar, was glued to the radio. While they were attendant ecause of the news, she was listening out of fear…

"The base, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Kane, a Mojave native, is rumored to have enough supplies to last a two month siege. Communications between Devil's Ridge and NCR command are still up, and Lieutenant Colonel Kane, has vowed that no man or woman under his command will be taken alive. The likely hood of their survival is slim…to none, according to one anonymous NCR official…"

Cass did not hear the rest as her mind went blank from horror. Her prayers had apparently gone unanswered, as Kane was now in an almost certain death situation.

"No!" She yelled angrily, slamming her fist on the bar. This could not be happening to her, she couldn't lose the love of her life… again, it was getting to be too much for her heart to take.

"NCR YOU'D BETTER GET YOUR SHIT IN GEAR AND GET THOSE TROOPS SUPPORT NOW!" She stood and yelled.

Lord knows that Kane was a tough, mean son of a bitch, but even he had his limits.

She needed something… she needed the company of her friends, she needed to be at the Lucky 38. She needed to find comfort in those she shared a bond with, even if it wasn't with Kane.

Paying for her drink, she turned and walked out the door, brushing off a worried Sonny Smiles.

"What's wrong with her?" She asked as the brunette strode out the door.

"Kane's firebase is under siege, they ain't gonna make it…"Trudy responded while looking off worriedly in the direction Cass was heading.

Sonny was speechless. She thought of what Cass had been through already, and knew that she wouldn't be able to take much more.

Cass arrived at the Lucky 38 late at night, and took the elevator up to the presidential suite. As the elevator doors opened, she found an awaiting Veronica (DRUNK AS HELL) and Arcade standing before her.

"Cass…we're so sorry." Arcade said stepping closer, taking the distraught woman into his arms.

"Oh Casshhh! I heared wha happen!" Veronica slurred drunkenly, as she leaned against the door frame for support.

Cass just returned Arcade's hug, and cried openly into his shoulder. It was going to be a long night.

Kane dove into the trench in front of him, narrowly evading an explosion behind him. He stood, and looked to both sides, he saw troops, half dressed, and poorly equipped, laying down fire upon the mass of Legion forces below.

He ran to a dugout, looking for the commanding officer for a sitrep. He asked around, and as it turned out, the highest ranking soldier left in that squad was none other than Corporal Violet Andrews.

"Corporal! Report! Now!" He shouted over the constant chatter of gunfire, and thunderous explosions.

Andrews nodded her head in an impromptu salute and responded, as loud as her soft voice would allow.

"Sir! We have several men dead, including Sergeant McNamara, and almost all of us are wounded in some way shape or form! We are beginning to push them back, but it's-"

An explosion cut her off mid-sentence.

"Get used to it corporal, this is what it's gonna be like for some time!" He stood, and patted her on the shoulder as he walked passed her.

**TWO MONTHS LATER**

There was a click, as the gun's hammer struck the primer cap of the bullet. Normally, it would cause the bullet to fly forward, but the bullet stayed in the chamber.

Kane knew what had happened. He had loaded a defective bullet into his pistol! He began yelling in a drunken rage, waving his pistol around blindly.

As the Colonel readied himself once more, he saw a figure standing in his tent… it was a shapely figure, that closely resembled the body of Cass. He dropped the gun, and it all went black.

The next day, Kane awoke early as usual, to find that he was in his bed, naked and covered in a thick blanket. But that was not the least of it; he was not alone in the bed. In his arms lay a naked woman, her blonde hair just reaching her shoulders. He propped himself up on one elbow to see the woman's face.

His fears were confirmed, as he groaned and looked longingly towards his pistol once again.

'Why do you hate me god? God? GOD! THERE IS NO GOD, OTHERWISE I WOULD NOT BE PERPETUALLY CURSED TO LIVE THIS DAMNED EXISTENCE OF MINE!'

He thought angrily, and for once, he did not think of Cass… he thought of the young Corporal he was currently sharing his bed with. He dragged himself from bed, and readied himself for another day of perpetual combat.

He did not think of how he was going to explain the situation to Cass, however, since he and all under his command would die soon anyway.

As he put on his olive green pants, he heard the young woman awaking from her slumber.

"Mmmm, honey, come back to bed." She pleaded.

Kane glanced over at his revolver for a second time that morning as a wave of guilt washed over him. Now, he was definitely going to hell, he thought.

He wished for an all-out Legion attack, because the waiting was killing him… he would not have to wait long.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I love you guys, and alright, I see where you are coming from, I have been an insensitive asshole to you, my beloved readers. I deeply appreciate the constructive criticism. I will no longer demand reviews as I have done in the past, as that was insensitive and wrong.

Sincerely,

William War.


	14. End in sight

Author's Notes: Well guys and girls, the time has come for me to end this story. Within the next two chapters I am going to end it… and I promise you to never add on to it again. I am sorry to those who enjoyed my work. I just don't have it in my heart anymore to do it. Sorry guys. I used to love writing this, and now... now it is just something to do to pass the time. Believe me, I wrote this thing with the best intentions, not to just get reviews. I will begin working on the final two chapters ASAP, but I don't know if you guys will like them, as my heart is not in it. *sigh* I just can't drag it on any longer, it felt like the more I wrote the more it sucked, thus, I don't read my own story. I will make a sequel if my heart comes back into it, but as for now... I'm not even going to think about it.

I am sorry.

Sincerely,

William


	15. A Ranger's Sorrows

"Sir?" Violet Andrews asked as Kane was packing up.

"I said get dressed corporal!" he yelled from under his helmet.

"What's going on?" she inquired from under the bed sheet.

"GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER ANDREWS,**THIS IS IT**!"

Despite not know what was going on, Violet complied, quickly dressing in her NCR armor. As she zipped up her pants she watched as Kane, the man she had taken advantage of last night, meticulously counted every round of ammunition he had.

He finished his counting and placed the bullets into belts that he had wrapped around his armor. Throwing on his duster, he rushed outside of the tent yelling as loud as he could.

"Wake up assholes, we're fighting our way out TODAY!"

Whatever troops that were sleeping, were soon wide awake, readying themselves for combat. For many, this would be a last testament to the fighting spirit of the NCR… or some heroic bullshit like that.

The sentries watched in horror as the entire legion siege force began marching up the hill that the base was situated on top of.

Kane met up with his fellow Ranger Veterans, and told them to disperse evenly, to have one veteran to a platoon of normal NCR grunts.

Violet Andrews was not noticed as she emerged from Kane's tent. She sprinted to her squad's shared tent, and took up her rifle, and her ammunition.

She looked in a mirror, and sighed. She looked like shit, two months of non-stop hell were not kind on one's complexion.

She felt twenty years older. Offhandedly, she wondered how old Kane must feel. Kane. The man who was her superior, her leader, and he was the man she had taken advantage of.

She grinned evilly, thinking that Kane was now hers and hers alone. She could now spend whatever was left of her life by the man she loved… what she failed to realize was that Kane had other plans.

Meanwhile…

Cass had given up all hope. She was sure that Kane was as good as dead. There was no word from the front. No leaked attack plans. No relief efforts on the part of the NCR.

She was sitting at the bar in Gomorrah, the casino run by the Omertas. She was alone. Arcade and Veronica were off trying to get laid, without spending all of their caps.

Cass was just trying to forget. Just trying to get drunk. Just trying to move on.

"Bad day huh?" A soft, boyish voice inquired from her right.

Cass turned her head to see a man with beautiful, shoulder length brunette locks, and a soft face, with kind brown eyes. He didn't have a scar to be seen. He wore a nice suit, and was skinny. In short he was the complete and polar opposite of Kane.

"Aren't you a little too young to be drinking kid?"

He had a glass of scotch in his hand.

"I'm twenty one today ma'am. I'm plenty old enough to drink."

Cass cocked a weary eyebrow.

"So let me guess, you came here, to get some sweet young thing good and drunk so you can ride her like a Brahmin all night. You had the good fortune to find me, halfway in the gutter, and decided, 'this'll be easy' and strolled on over to make idle conversation as I slowly became wasted, and in all honesty, uninhibited. Am I close?"

He looked like a child who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Well um- you see- …yes." He said, beaten by a half drunken woman he had just met.

Cass sighed, and was just about to go back to her drink, when she realized what she was doing. She was throwing away a perfectly good chance for her to begin to move on.

"Well kid, tell you what, you stop by the Lucky 38 casino in three days, if you still want to fuck me… and I'll consider it, until then, leave me to my drinking."

She watched in slight amusement as he nervously walked away from the bar.

'How will I explain this to Veronica?' she thought.

Two Days Later at NCR firebase call sign "Devil Ridge"…

"They're pulling back!"

"The fucking faggots are retreating!"

"Toss my salad Caesar!"

Cries like these went up as the remainder of the legion siege force was pushed back, by NCR reinforcements.

The plan to reinforce Devil's Ridge was kept at top secret level, and never spoken of, thus no word was let out to Legion spies, or to the press.

The Legion siege force had been caught completely off guard, and within a few hours, had lost a significant amount of their army.

Hell, even Kane ad been surprised when artillery rounds came crashing down onto legion forces, and was even more surprised when he saw the amount of troops the NCR had sent.

There were easily twenty thousand soldiers.

"Beautiful." Kane said, while standing next to Violet.

"Me sir?" she asked, blushing.

"No, not you, the ferocity in which my troops fought. Some down to the bitter death. They all deserve a medal at the least."

Violet could only hang her head. Suddenly an idea came to mind. She wrapped her arms around Kane's barrel chest, and gently squeezed.

Kane sighed. 'Guess it's now or never…'

He pushed her off of him and he pulled out one of his revolvers.

"I won't be taken advantage of, ever again!"

And with that, he fired a single round into Violet's head.

She dropped like a rock, her face warped, and the back of her skull shattered.

Kane collected her dog tags, and began the long walk back to camp. No one would question him, he was one of the Republics' finest warriors. No one would ever believe that he executed a woman for no apparent reason.

He just hoped, not prayed, for he had lost reason to believe in god, that Cass was still waiting for him.

He soon found himself on his way back to the strip, for an award ceremony, and more importantly, some alone time with Cass.

A day later he found himself walking down that familiar flight of stairs coming from the tram concourse, and into Vegas.

He reveled in the bright lights, the sound, and even the smell. Kane walked to the entrance of the lucky 38 casino, and let himself in.

He rode the elevator to the presidential suite. It was one in the morning, everyone would be asleep, making his return all the more surprising. When the doors opened his ears were assaulted by the sound of passionate moaning.

His heart skipped a beat, as he recognized Cass's voice moaning.

What she was saying was incomprehensible. What Kane heard next would haunt his nightmares for many nights to come.

A young male voice joined in the moaning.

Kane went into a daze, and he walked to Cass's door.

With a gentle turn of the handle, he opened the door.

"YEEEESSSSS!" Cass climaxed.

"NO! NO! NOOOOO!" Kane bellowed. (Think the river scene in tombstone)

Cass gasped as she heard the all too familiar voice.

Panting she got off of the young man underneath her, and turned to see a fuming Kane standing in the doorway.

"KANE? Is that you?" She damn well knew it was him.

"Get. The. Fuck. Out. NOW!"

The young man leapt from the bed and hurriedly threw on his clothes. He didn't even wave good-bye to Cass, as he darted into the elevator.

Kane had the man's face committed to memory… he'd kill him later.

"Kane, I'm so sorry I just-"

"YOU JUST WHAT? You just thought you could go behind my back, when I executed one of my best soldiers just to be with you?"

"Wha-"

"NO!" He said his hand raised. "Don't say a fucking thing to me!"

Cass's heart broke.

"Now get the fuck out of my home."

Cass's eyes went wide. Was he really kicking her out?

"But Kane I-"

He drew his revolver and aimed it at her naked chest.

"Get dressed, and leave, or I WILL shoot you."

"Even after all we've been through together?" tears were pouring down her face now.

"All we've been through together is the only reason you're still alive. No get dressed, and LEAVE!"

She obeyed, and was soon dressed, weeping all the way to the elevator.

As the doors closed Kane uttered one last sentence to her.

"Never come back."

And she was alone once more.

After an hour of contemplating a double homicide, Kane heard the elevator doors open, and he heard several people get out.

He readied his pistols and opened the door to the hallway from his room.

He was greeted by six men with silenced smg's and a single man wielding a silenced pistol.

"Hello Colonel. My name is Aeries Inculta, head of Caesar's Praetorian Guard. I am here to kill you."

The man with the pistol smiled.

"Gentlemen, this is really not the best time."

THE END?


	16. UPDATE!

Well ladies and gentlemen, I've started working on the sequel to "A Ranger's Sorrows" so you should expect it to be up in a few days. Hope to hear from you guys soon.

Sincerely

William War


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